Woosley ’26: The VMI Difference

Cadet Sarah Woosley ’26 describes the difference between her rat self and who she is today as “night and day.” She was committed to the Institute from the first time she set foot on post, but Woosley wasn’t sure of her abilities to meet the demands of cadetship. Today, as a 1st Class cadet, Woosley has emerged from her VMI experience with confidence, academic stars, and a leadership style grounded in humility and accountability.

Matriculating from Louisville, Kentucky, Woosley, a chemistry major and 2nd Battalion commander, first heard of VMI from a coworker. When Woosley shared her desire to attend a college with an ROTC program and serve in the military, her coworker, a VMI cadet, encouraged her to visit the Institute. After coming to an open house, Woosley knew VMI was the school for her. “I came the October of my senior year, and I absolutely fell in love with the place,” she said.

Going into Matriculation Day, Woosley learned as much as she could, but nothing could fully prepare her for the Rat Line. Despite the challenges, she remained fully committed. On hard days, Woosley remembers saying to herself, “Well, this is what I decided I was going to do, and I’d better just fully accept and fully just give into the system.”

Meanwhile, she also found unexpected fun while being a rat, particularly the confidence that came from overcoming seemingly impossible challenges. “Every day I was faced with something, and I would say, ‘I can’t do it.’ And then the end of the day would come, and I’d say, ‘Oh wow, I did that,’” said Woosley. “Being able to recognize that I did do more than I thought I could do and knowing that when there may not seem to be a way to be able to do something, there is a way and I can get through it—I think that was the fun part.”

From initially feeling unsure of her academic capabilities to wearing academic stars, Woosley has put in long hours as a student, and she credits much of her success to the many resources the Institute provides, such as the Writing Center, and the personalized education she enjoys in VMI’s small class sizes.

Balancing all of cadetship’s commands—in academics, leadership, and physical demands—is tough, but Woosley is grateful for the person and servicemember VMI is preparing her to be. “At VMI, you’re not just juggling academics. If you have any rank, you’re juggling rank, or you’re juggling being in an ROTC department, but you just have to make it work,” she said. “I’m going to be better set up for success, because as an Army officer, I’m not just going to be juggling one thing—I’m probably going to be juggling 1,000 things. Being able to get that experience here and be able to get those good time management skills here has been a blessing.”

Leading at VMI has looked different from what she imagined—as 2nd Battalion commander, Woosley has grown to view leadership as more than holding authority. Over the last few years, she’s come to find leadership is also about being a resource, walking alongside others in the challenges of cadetship and fostering their potential. “Being 2nd Battalion commander has been a really great honor, but it honestly hasn’t been what I thought it would be,” said Woosley. “I kind of thought, ‘Oh, as 2nd Battalion commander, you’re just in charge of a bunch of people.’ But I quickly came into the position, realizing that while I am in charge, that’s not how I want to look at the position. I have tried to be a resource for people and to be able to help people.”

“I don’t see myself as being over anyone—I kind of just see myself as like walking alongside people, helping them get through their time here at VMI, helping them get through the hard times of their cadetship. And I feel like that’s how my leadership style here at VMI has changed .”

Woosley also has had plenty of mentors and resources to support her leadership, especially in her fellow female cadets who hold rank. “I look beside me, in front of me, everywhere, and there are female leaders helping me be able to keep pushing on when times get tough, and it’s reassuring,” she said. “Anytime I run into a problem, I’m able to go to them because they probably experience the same thing I’ve experienced, and I can ask, ‘How did you handle this situation or what did you do in this scenario?’”

Extending far beyond barracks, the character growth and leadership development of Woosley’s VMI experience follows her home, too, even helping her encourage her four siblings. “There’s a lot of experience that I’ve been able to get from VMI, that I’ve been able to bring back home with me,” said Woosley. “It’s cool going home and having all these stories and just being able to talk with my younger siblings about it or be able to use my knowledge to help my older siblings out.”

As one of a family of seven and facing the cost of out-of-state tuition, Woosley’s cadetship was only made possible with financial support. Her tuition is covered through a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship, but room and board still present a high cost. Through scholarships, however, Woosley has been able to afford the remaining costs of her education. This year, through scholarships, her tuition has been fully covered, for which she is deeply grateful.

“It’s a really good feeling knowing that I am able to come to VMI without the financial stress,” said Woosley. “Going into my 1st Class year, knowing that [I] don’t have to worry about paying for school was a really great feeling, and it allowed me to enjoy being here. I don’t have to stress out about the financial burden of what it means to be a VMI cadet.”

On challenging days when the demands of cadetship weigh on her, Woosley is motivated by the end goal—being a VMI graduate—saying, “Once I get that diploma and once I am able to call myself a VMI alum, it will all be worth it.” And, if she’s honest, she’ll even be a bit sad to close this chapter come May. “I really do love this place. It’s like a love-hate relationship—and I think most cadets would say the same thing, depending on the day you ask them,” she quipped. “But I think we will all graduate from here saying that we love it and that we’re glad we came here. We are glad we did the hard thing, and we’re glad that we chose the path that isn’t ordinary.”

After graduation, Woosley will commission into the U.S. Army and hopes to join the Corps of Engineers with plans to become a physician’s assistant one day, as well. Reflecting on who she is today, just a few months from graduation, and who she was as a rat, Woosley says her VMI journey has been completely transformative.

“If I look back on my rat self, I would see a completely different person. I came into VMI not confident at all; I was not confident in my ability to overcome challenges. I was not confident in my academic ability at all. I was not confident in my leadership abilities, and I was just very worried about coming into an environment like this. Going from that as a rat to where I’m at now is night and day … I really have changed, and I am a confident person, and I know I’m capable of doing hard things, and that just means everything to me.”